Focusing on the Electoral College, this book explores its logical foundations and the complexities surrounding presidential elections. It uniquely examines the Presidential Succession Act, questioning its effectiveness in extreme scenarios that could lead to election stalemates. By addressing these critical issues, the book provides a thought-provoking analysis of the electoral process and its potential vulnerabilities.
This book addresses the peculiarities of the current presidential election system not yet addressed in other publications. It argues that any rules for electing a President that may have a chance to replace the current ones should provide an equal representation of states as equal members of the Union, and of the nation as a whole. This book analyzes the National Popular Vote plan and shows that this plan may violate the Supreme Court decisions on the equality of votes cast in statewide popular elections held to choose state electors. Thus, the National Popular Vote plan may violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The book proposes a new election system in which the will of the states and the will of the nation as a whole are determined by direct popular elections for President and Vice President in the 50 states and in D.C. This system a) would elect President a candidate who is the choice of both the nation as a whole and of the states as equal members of the Union, b) would let the current system elect a President only if no such candidate exists, and c) would encourage the candidates to campaign nationwide
This book is the first to analyze the principles behind the U.S. presidential election system and competing proposals for reform. It discusses how certain election rules in the U.S. Constitution and the Presidential Succession Act can lead to skewed outcomes and election stalemates. The author argues that the Act may not address some rare situations that the Twentieth Amendment allows Congress to manage. Additionally, the book questions the constitutionality of the National Popular Vote Plan, which seeks to implement a direct popular presidential election without amending the Constitution, highlighting its potential violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Numerical examples illustrate that the claims made by proponents of the NPV—that it would encourage candidates to appeal to voters in every state—lack a solid foundation. Ultimately, the book proposes a new plan to enhance the election system by integrating the “one state, one vote” principle with the “one person, one vote” principle. This approach ensures that no state loses its current Electoral College benefits while increasing the attention presidential candidates pay to all states.